What are booking messages
When a customer books an appointment your business can communicate with them before, during and after the visit is completed.
Within Waitwhile, there are nine (9) message templates that you can enable and customize to ensure proper communication with your customers. These include the ability confirm a booking, remind them of an upcoming booking, instructions for check-in upon arrival, and even a follow-up once the visit is over.
Booking message templates:
Message templates are pre-set, customizable messages that help businesses communicate with customers throughout their journey. These messages are triggered automatically by an action made by the customer, staff, or pre-built automation within the platform.
Booking Request
Description: Sent when a customer sends a request to make a booking
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when they request an appointment
Tips: Booking approval must be enabled to use this message template
Booking Rejected
Description: Sent when a booking is rejected by a staff member authorized to approve or reject booking requests.
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when a user rejects their booking request
Tips: Booking approval must be enabled to use this message template
Booking Confirmation
Description: Sent to the customer to confirm new bookings
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when a booking is made or accepted
Tips: You can personalize the message with the customers name and included important details like location, service, and date & time using variable placeholders
Booking Reminder
Description: Sent to remind customers about the booking ahead of time
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer at a specific time prior to their booking time
Tips: Customize multiple reminders and how far in advance of the customers appointment you want it to send
Pro tip: Our message templates support sending different messages for different reminders using conditional logic.
Booking Alert
Description: Sent to notify customer about their booking
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when a user clicks the bell icon from the staff view within the platform
Tips: This is a less frequently used message for bookings as compared to Waitlisting. It is recommended as an optional message if you and your team are looking to reduce SMS costs.
Booking Serving
Description: Sent when a customer starts being served
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when they are served by a user
Tips: Will be triggered either by clicking the green checkmark or dragging the customer into the serving column
Booking completed
Description: Sent when a customer is marked as completed
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when the booking visit has been completed
Tips: This message will be triggered either when a user marks the customer as completed or if it is enabled to send through automation, such as expiration rules.
Booking follow up
Description: Sent at a specific time after the customer is marked as completed
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer after the booking visit has been completed
Tips: You can specify when this message is sent to the customer (min of 5 minutes after they are marked as completed)
Pro tip: Keep in mind that the Booking follow up template is sent after every completed booking. So if your customers visit you frequently, they will also receive a follow up message frequently.
Booking Cancelled
Description: Sent when a booking is canceled
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer after the booking visit has ben cancelled
Tips: This message is sent if the customer cancels their booking, if the staff cancels the booking, or the booking is cancelled by the expiration rules.
Booking No-showed
Description: Sent when a customer is marked as a no-show
Trigger: Automatically sent to the customer when a user marks the booking visit as a no show
Tips: This message is sent if the staff marks the visit as a no show or by the expiration rules.
Other Booking Messages
In addition to booking message templates, Waitwhile also offers businesses the ability to send ad-hoc messages manually within the platform. There are two types of ad-hoc messages you can send:
Saved Replies: Pre-configured SMS and Email responses for your most common questions and updates. These are not sent to all customers, but can be used to ensure consistent messaging while saving time during interactions with your customers. Learn more about Saved replies.
Custom Message: One-off messages sent to an individual or group of customers written by the user in free form text.
Have additional questions or need assistance? Reach out to us via chat or at support@waitwhile.com